I think you're both right. A lot of meetings are one person talking and the others listening, that could have been an email. Actual back-and-forth discussion needs to be verbal though, otherwise what could be resolved in 10 minutes takes a week.

Meetings are a different problem.

If meetings are used merely to disseminate info from above, then it should be an email.

Email shouldn't be used for decision-making conversations. It doesn't work well.

(I didn't come up with this, it was taught to me by senior management at one company that had the most impressive communications I've ever seen).